The Houston Dynamo, fresh off the team's second straight championship, could have a private-public deal to build a stadium in place within weeks, city and team officials said Monday. "I'm hopeful we can put a good deal together," said Andy Icken, the city's deputy director of public works, who is heading negotiations for the city. "If we're going to be successful, we'll be successful in the next two weeks." Anschutz Entertainment Group, which owns the Dynamo, is laying plans to build a 22,000-seat, open-air stadium at a cost of $70 million to $80 million. The Dynamo have been most interested in building the stadium between the George R. Brown Convention Center and Minute Maid Park on the other side of U.S. 59. The land is privately held. Some members of the team, which won its second straight Major League Soccer championship Sunday by defeating the New England Revolution, said they are wondering why it is taking so long to secure a stadium deal. "Mayor White, listen up: This team deserves it (a stadium)," Dynamo defender Craig Waibel said. County Commissioner Sylvia Garcia said the Dynamo's second championship should energize officials and fans to get a stadium built. "But nobody wants to see taxpayer dollars go toward this," she said. The county is not expected to play a role in a stadium project. Nearly two years ago, AEG moved its franchise to Houston after failing to put together a stadium deal to its liking in San Jose, Calif. The mammoth entertainment company renamed the team the Dynamo, and executives promised to get a stadium built in its new home. Oliver Luck, Dynamo president and general manager, said the team has presented a good proposal to the city and is waiting for a response. "We're close to a deal. It's really up to the mayor," Luck said. White is seeking a deal that would not require the city to contribute public money. While AEG's proposal calls for the company to bear most of the construction costs, it still would require the city to provide millions of dollars in needed infrastructure improvements, city and team officials said. "The mayor has said he would not like to use any money that could be used for firefighters or policemen," Icken said. The Harris County-Houston Sports Authority, which built Minute Maid Park, Reliant Stadium and Toyota Center with public funds, is not expected to be involved in construction of a soccer stadium. The authority is paying off bonds floated to build the baseball, football and basketball facilities with hotel and car rental taxes. Officials have said there will not be enough tax revenue to finance a soccer stadium. "We're prepared to put in the preponderance of the money for the stadium," Luck said. "I'm reluctant to say whether it would be $60 million, $62 million or $72 million," he said. "But we are asking the city for some financial help, no two ways about it." Infrastructure improvements could include building streets to a stadium site and paying for expanded water lines and other utilities, Icken said. AEG and the city are negotiating a second deal that would call on the city to provide land for a team practice facility. It could be located in a proposed city soccer complex in south Houston near Texas 288 and Almeda-Genoa. Luck said the stadium should be built downtown because it would be the most convenient location for the most soccer fans, who are spread around the metropolitan area. bill.murphy@chron.com bernardo.fallas@chron.com http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5315872.html
My only complaint is cap 22,000? Call me crazy but we need more seats. 25K preferably 30,000. The Dynamo are getting that popular. I mean our only lame attendance games were with Real Salt Flake. Other than that, yes get this deal done and please have some REAL parking there. Parking at the Rob is atrocious!
There was a report on channel 13 that said they were negotiating a 25K stadium around $100 million. I'm not sure if they got the numbers wrong since everybody else has 22K at $70 - $80 million or if the deal has changed. You can watch it online, it's labeled "Dynamo get a warm reception..." http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/front
If the 1836'ers (I refuse to call them the P.C. name) want to pony up for the whole construction costs, then go for it. No public money for minor league sports.
I am not neccessarily a soccer fan, but these guys are a MAJOR LEAGUE team......from an investors standpoint, soccer being such a popular sport with the hispanic community, and such a large hispanic population in Houston, this would be a great idea!!
It sounds like exactly what the team wants and is a good deal for the city. I just hope they're creative in the design. DrL...any word on if this deal includes the complex with additional fields? This is the only team this city can call "Champions" in the last decade. They deserve a place of their own.
the Aeros, Energy and Comets have all won titles in the last decade. Time to check the chron from Monday to see the list of all 17 championship teams from Houston
MLS is in no way shape or form a major league sport like real football, basketball, or baseball. Like I said, if the 1836'ers pay for it 100%, then go for it.
not too mention that an architecturally innovative design in that part of an already transforming east side will do wonders. get it done, CD!
if they [the dynamo] can average 16-18k attendance, what's the difference b/w them and the rockets? besides, you have to look a the broader picture, especially in regards to the revitalization the east side of downtown is going through.... adding a nice stadium encourages more pedestrian friendly development in that area to go along with discovery green, mmp, houston pavilions, toyota center, etc. i think a nice soccer stadium at the proposed location would be a terrific addition to downtown.
absolutely it would. attracting that many people downtown over and over again is good for the city. it re-enforces the money the county has already spent trying to develop the area.
I know it's hard for the soccer fanatics to admit it but soccer is a minor league sport here in the USA. Comparing the MLS to the NBA is a joke. Average attendance in a billion dollar league is a just a little bit more important than the average attendance in the MLS. I'm not anti soccer but I put this in perspective. I get all the arguments for improving downtown and the increased business activity. It makes sense and if the 1836'ers want to pay for it, then let the building begin. Just don't tell me soccer is as important or anywhere close to the big 3.
There hasn't been much talk about the auxiliary fields, the only thing I've read is that they were talking about putting them around 288 and Reed Rd and that the team would have their practice facilities there. I'm pretty sure that having them built will be a requirement from the city to get the stadium done. I haven't read anything about size or extras like concessions that will be built with it. The team has talked with HFA and other local leagues about having their leagues play games there, plus any big youth tournaments in the area will probably go there once it's done.
no one compared the MLS to NBA they compared the Dynamo to the Rockets. right now the rockets have a much larger fanbase but i could easily see in 3-5 years the dynamo being as big as the rockets especially if astros continue to fall off and the texans stay mediocre at best. and im not a soccer fan.
Not a snowball's chance in hell of this happening. I read in David Barron's blog on chron.com and the viewer ship for the 1836'ers game fell once the Texans kicked off. What does that mean? People would rather watch a regular season NFL game between two .500 teams than the championship soccer game.
You do realize that your complete lack of rationality makes any argument you make seem silly and quickly dismissed don't you?
Seems like you are anti-soccer to me. Soccer has been slow to take off the United States sure, but people are warming up to it more now than ever before, mainly because the United States doesn't suck in the world wide picture anymore. The Mexico vs USA league (Superliga) was a pretty popular tournament. If the Dynamo get a new stadium, more people will go. Especially now since they've won two championships. People go to see teams win. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, and it will *never* change. Sports like football, basketball and baseball combined probably dont pull the ratings on a worldwide scale that soccer games do. I don't understand why people here have such a deep rooted distaste for it. I'd say soccer games are way more entertaining and exciting than baseball games are. But the Astros do get theyre stadium. And what else happens in Minute Maid outside of the Astros games? It's not like Reliant or Toyota Center that can actually hold venues outside of the sports realm.
